Miami Shoot

Gina Samarotto

Luxury, The Issue

Louis Moinet: Everlasting Memoris

LOUIS MOINET DEBUTS A NEW CLASSIC IN TIMELESS BEAUTY By Gina Samarotto Composed of fifty-two pieces crafted in either 18kt rose or 18kt white gold, framed in a two-part bezel with bespoke, polished screws and functioning with an impossibly high level of elevated precision that can only be Swiss; the Memoris by Louis Moinet veritably purrs with exquisite richness. Created by the impeccably skilled craftsmen at Louis Moinet, the Memoris took Baselworld 2015 by storm when the timepiece made its luxury market debut earlier this year. Released in three limited editions of just sixty exquisite timepieces each, the Memoris is a stunning collaboration of form and function reserved for a very select few. So exclusive and brilliant is this timepiece that the debut of the Memoris has been referred to as “…probably the most important launch we’ve ever done” by company CEO and Creative Director, Jean-Marie Schaller. In addition to its hauntingly elegant good looks, what sets the Memoris apart from other luxury watches lies within its finely honed, visible and mesmerizing workings. Featuring inspired mechanical elements including a yoke that swivels along the same axis as the second wheel to improve the engagement and ‘Energie Plus,’ an automatic winding system relying on a spring and ‘crab claw’ design. In the case of the latter, the advantage of the ‘Energie Plus’ is the notable ability to allow the watch to be wound in multiple directions, minimizing the travel and optimizing each movement of the rotor so that the movements are wound more effectively over time. In a true pièce de résistance style, the chronograph feature of the Memoris was created to be held entirely within the dial – an industry first permitting the movements to be seen and swooned over at the gentle push of a button. Reigning in – as described by the watchmaker – “splendid isolation” the chronograph function on the dial shows each movement; assuring all that this is neither a skeleton nor superfluous component. “We couldn’t draw inspiration from what had gone before; everyone else worked from the premise that the chronograph was an additional complication on top of the time function,” explains Schaller. “Our starting point was the opposite: sweeping away the past and making the chronograph the heart of our design; the central component to which we then added a time function, rather than the other way round.” Indeed, the movement is for the chronograph element alone and to watch it work is to watch a finely choreographed display of graceful elegance. Named after the man who invented the chronograph, or ‘compteur de tierces’ as it were; the Switzerland-based Louis Moinet is a luxury creator of fine watches headquartered in Saint-Blaise, where the heart of Swiss watchmaking still beats in rhythmic staccato. Committed to innovate designs executed with impeccable artistry and using luxuriously exotic materials, Louis Moinet is the creator of distinctive timepieces showcasing the centuries old art of watchmaking. For further information on the limited edition Memoris, including availability and pricing, please visit www.louismoinet.com Click here to view this post in the September/October 2015 digital issue Click here to view the online issue

Luxury, The Issue

Parmigiani Fleurier: A Time for Luxury

PARMIGIANI FLEURIER STUDIO GLITTERS IN THE MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT. By Gina Samarotto Already teeming with fabulous dining, cutting edge fashion, noteworthy design and architecture, the Miami Design District has a hot, new neighbor to welcome home. With the opening of their fourteenth location worldwide and the debut of their first North American flagship studio, the luxury watch company known as Parmigiani Fleurier has combined everything we love about European-inspired opulence and infused it with the essence of Miami. Guests to the new Studio Parmigiani Miami are welcomed into 1,038 sq ft of pure luxury spread throughout three seductive spaces, each a meticulously planned oasis for chic city shoppers. In addition to the two, well-appointed primary spaces where Parmigiani’s ‘timely’ collections and objects d’art are showcased from within dramatic, wall-mounted vitrines; a third area is secreted towards the rear of the studio where a small lounge enveloped in blue lacquered walls offers sumptuous escape – and a more private setting from which to peruse the design house’s exceptional and exclusive offerings. Since its inception in 1996, the brand has been steadily building a loyal following. These enthusiasts – referred to as ‘friends’ by Parmigiani – comprise an illustrious group of timepiece aficionados including actor Kristin Scott Thomas, famed perfumer Serge Lutens, Viennese opera sensation Clemes Unterreirner and the inimitable Christian LaCroix among their number. Banded together by a shared affection for well-crafted timepieces, Parmigiani’s ‘friends’ glitter as brilliantly as the watches themselves – and given the brand’s breathtaking collections, the affection is well deserved. Of the notable collections from Parmigiani, pieces from the Tonda line are among the best loved and widely recognized. Each individually numbered piece from the Tonda Collection is an elegant interpretation of a style that is – in a word – timeless. Offered in 18kt gold and featuring faces crafted of either Tahitian mother-of-pearl, white mother-of-pearl, grained white facing or dark graphite dials; each Tonda 1950 sports delta-shaped hands and a small second dial at the six o’clock position ensuring its place as a modern classic. The women’s model is adorned with 84 brilliant diamonds totaling 0.6460 carats and both men’s and women’s versions sport the quintessential indulgence of staggeringly gorgeous bands created for Parmigiani by Hermes. Breathing an international, jet setting appeal to the Tonda line is the Hemispheres Collection. Crafted from gleamingsteel, the Tonda Hemisphere Collection boasts features including a date indicator at nine o’clock, a day/night setting along with the small second dial at the six, a second time zone indicator with hour and minute at the twelve o’clock position and a second day/night indicator nestled at half past the one. Parmigiani Fleurier is located at 140 N.E. 39th Street, Miami, FL 33137 For more information, please visit www.parmigiani.ch Click here to view this post in the July/August digital issue. Click here to view the online issue.

Luxury, The Issue

Bvlgari: The House That Sotirio Built

FROM A TO B.ZERO1, BVLGARI CONTINUES TO BEGUILE. By Gina Samarotto The history of one of the world’s most illustrious jewelers begins in Paramythia, a small village in the mountains of Greece. It was there, well before the turn of the last century, where a craftsman introduced his young son to the family trade. In this story, the father was a silversmith; the son was Sotirios Voulgaris – later to be known as Sotirio Bulgari – and from those humble, ancestral beginnings the glittering gem that would one day become the House of Bvlgari was born. Since its inception one hundred and thirty-one years ago, the House of Bvlgari has remained passionately committed to impeccable quality. As the new millennium neared, the notable purveyor with the name synonymous with luxury extended its reach by adding exquisite leather goods, fine watches, fragrances and a dappling of five-star hotels to their jewel encrusted portfolio. The result was an even larger constellation of sparkling indulgence and the Bvlgari we know today. With all due respect to Greek roots and the deeply rooted Italian presence Sotirio Bulgari bestowed on his temple of indulgence, today one can’t help but hear a faint whisper of French being spoken within the hallowed halls of the House of Bvlgari. Acquired by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Bvlgari joined the French luminary’s Watch & Jewelry sector along with Chaumet, Tag Heuer, Zenith, Fred, Hublot, and DeBeers in 2011. Nestled contentedly within LVMH’s proverbial lap of luxury; Bvlgari continues to shine with an inimitable brilliance that captures the attention of the world’s most discerning jewelry aficionados. Bvlgari’s offerings currently include the current B.zero1 Collection, a spectacular assortment of pieces crafted in the brand’s signature ‘tubogas’ style. First used by Bvlgari in the 1940s, the elegantly sinuous tubogas technique involves wrapping strips of precious metal – or ceramics, as is the case with B.zero1 – around a temporary core to create meticulously constructed, strikingly dramatic coils that serve as the backbone of the designs. The statement-making spheres of pink, white and yellow gold contained within the B.zero1 Collection are combined with ceramic and diamonds to create boldly modern rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces destined to be Bvlgari classics. Also in the current catalog and crafted using the same tubogas technique is Bvlgari’s Serpenti Collection. Serpenti pays, as the name would imply, homage to the serpent – that much loved Bvlgari hallmark used to illustrate wisdom, life, and eternity. With pieces that wrap seductively across the wrist, wind suggestively about the neck, or dangle beguiling from the ear; the diamond and gem laden pieces from the Serpenti Collection are exotic symbols of pure indulgence. While what the House of Bvlgari has for us next remains to be seen, it seems safe to say it promises to be nothing short of sigh-worthy. Sotirio would be pleased. For more information on Bvlgari’s collections, please visit www.Bulgari.com Click here to view this post in the July/August digital issue. Click here to view our online issue.

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